The Division: how to get end game gear
So you're level 30. So what? Here's what happens next.
The Division: how to get end game gear
The Division doesn't stop when you hit level 30 - oh, no. The XP cap is just the beginning of end game, and you may need to progress beyond it even just to finish the main missions and side stories.
After you max out your XP, it's all about loot. There's no esoteric meta-level system here (which unfortunately means no easy, at-a-glance way to judge an individual player's power) but you can definitely feel the difference between a set of basic green level 30 equipment and a proper end game setup.
In this guide we'll run down the main sources for end game loot so you can get out there and start building your ideal agent, starting with the easiest and progressing through to the most advanced tactics.
Loot it
Once you hit level 30, there's always a chance you'll find good gear in any activity, so you can just keep playing as you were. It's not fast, it's not smart, and it's not reliable, but you can do that if you want to.
The RNG in The Division seems a little kinder than rival titles, but there are so many more significant variables at play that even if you're stumbling over very rare, max level gear you might not get what you want. There are ways to increase your end game drops, but they're best used in conjunction with one of the other methods listed below.
Craft it
Completing late game side missions unlocks some high end crafting schematics you can use to kit yourself out.
You'll need to do a fair bit of running around the map to gather enough materials, and the gear you can build is both limited and randomised, but if you're stuck with a green sniper rifle because you just can't catch a break with drops, this is a relatively easy way to patch up an obvious hole in your build - until something better comes along.
Buy it with credits
If you've just hit level 30, are on your own or are only beginning your end game, this is your first stop. The standard vendors in the Base of Operations and the various safe houses around Manhattan regularly offer superior (purple) rarity gear. Your very first goal after hitting level 30 is to assemble a full set of superior rarity level 30 weapons, armour and mods.
Trotting round vendors regularly to see what they've got is a great way to supplement your drops in early end game. Don't forget to visit the vendors you unlock by upgrading your Base of Operations; there's a much bigger range of end game stuff on offer, including high end (yellow) rarity weapons.
Superior gear doesn't come cheap, so this method isn't ideal unless you want to spend long, long sessions collecting credits, and it won't net you the best stuff in the game - but it's a good start to getting where you need to be to get even better stuff.
Venture into the Dark Zone
The Dark Zone is full of great loot. Whether you collect it from chests, buy it from vendors in checkpoints and safe houses, loot it from AI enemies or take it from the corpses of other agents, you'll find more tasty gear in here than anywhere outside the walls. Keep the best bits and sell or break down the rest to aid you in collecting more - your coffers will soon overflow.
This sounds good on paper but be aware that you really need to group up in the Dark Zone. The enemies here are very, very tough, and other players will absolutely murder you as you attempt to extract your goodies. Find friends you can trust before you venture in.
If you just want to put your brain in neutral and collect drops rather than challenging yourself against the toughest encounters, here's a great Dark Zone farming run for loot, credits, Dark Zone Credits and Phoenix Credits.
Buy it with Phoenix Credits
The best gear in end game must be purchased with Phoenix Credits. Complete your Base of Operations upgrades to unlock an end game vendor with a stack of high end rarity gear as well as a frankly delicious superior selection.
How do you get Phoenix Credits? As usual, it's not easy: you'll need to tackle daily missions and challenge mode, or kill named bosses in the Dark Zone, in order to amass them. You'll want a team you can rely on and some decent gear before you give it a go, though.
The good news is the drops you receive from Phoenix Credits activities are also worth the effort, so you're double dipping here. How efficient of you.
Tweak it
This one is really, really important: the Recalibration station you unlock in the Base of Operations makes all the difference between okay-ish gear and great gear. Say you're running a Turret and First Aid sniper build, and you acquire a spiffy set of purple gloves with nice high numbers on them - but their special bonus grants you a boost when using, say, Mobile Cover.
You could adjust your play style and respec as a tank - or you could re-roll the bonus and hope for something more useful to your preferred mode of play. By tweaking bonuses at the Recalibration station you can build up bonuses that transform you from a good agent into an unstoppable machine. It's well worth the effort, and much, much faster than sitting back and hoping you find the right gear at a vendor.
Do not underestimate Recalibration. Min-maxing your gear is of absolute importance to end game The Division; it's not good enough just to settle for whatever you get.
That's all, folks
As of March 2016, these methods are your best bet for finding end game gear for dominating the Dark Zone, and to get you ready for Incursions, The Division's answer to raids, and other post-launch content. We'll update this page as and when new avenues for loot acquisition open.